COVID-19
One of the rare and life-threatening conditions is acute aortic thrombosis. We have described a case of thrombosis of the aorta and iliac arteries in a patient against the background of viral pneumonia COVID-19, with newly diagnosed diabetes mellitus and arterial hypertension.
HEAD
A clinical observation of the diagnosis of cerebral venous stroke, rare in clinical practice, based on the data of magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography of the brain, is presented, the semiotics of the revealed changes is described.
Aim of the study. Clarification of the functional and diagnostic significance of topography, or the type of fMRI-response recorded during active and passive hand movements in patients after traumatic brain injury.
Material and methods. fMRI-responses gained during active and passive hand movements were analyzed in 40 patients with posttraumatic motor function disturbances and compared with results gained from 17 healthy volunteers (control group ).
Results. In analyzed patients the increase of percentage of diffuse fMRI-response has been shown along with the areas of activation not typical for movement activation pattern typical healthy volunteers. The fMRI response type being it local or multifocal does not clearly correlate with the presence of motor function impairment (hemiparesis). However, it was found that with greater severity of hemiparesis there is a larger percentage of multifocal fMRI-response.
The transition from a multifocal form of a motor fMRI-response to a local one observed in a dynamic study is accompanied by an improvement of patient’s general condition, a shift towards normalization of a number of morphofunctional indicators of the central nervous system, the tendency of regression of motor disorders.
Conclusion. The increase of multifocal fMRI-responses in patients after traumatic brain injury is one of the signs of cerebral dysfunction. Dynamically observed transformation from multifocal to local fMRI-responses is associated with current or long-term improvement in motor activity as well, wit the regression of other clinical impairments and can be considered as prognostically positive sign of the course of post-traumatic illness.
Objective. Role of ultrasound examination in planning surgical correction of age-related changes of the face and neck soft tissues.
Methods. A prospective analysis of the study and treatment of 80 patients with involutive changes in the soft tissues of the face and neck who were carried out from 2018 to 2020 in the Mositalmed Clinic. The age of the patients ranged from 24 to 60 years. The mean age was 42 ± 6.89 years (± SE standard deviation mean). There were 67 female patients (83.7%), male patients – 13 (16.3%).
Results. The diagnostic value of ultrasound examination in involutional changes in the soft tissues of the face and neck for determining the causes of contour deformities is noted.
Conclusion. Ultrasound imaging in an upright position of the patient makes it possible to determine the degree of participation of each tissue in the formation of deformity, which is extremely important for planning various techniques for rejuvenating the face and neck.
HEART AND VESSELS
As a result of solving a large number of technical problems (increasing the area of anatomical coverage and scanning speed, increasing the signal-to-noise ratio, improving spatial and contrast resolution, building a color image quality in 3D mode, significantly reducing the radiation dose), the method of computed tomography imaging of the vascular system has won a leading position in the world today. However, if CT Angiography is used everywhere and daily in the diagnosis of arterial pathology, this method has not yet received clinical recognition in patients with chronic venous diseases.
This review of the literature analyzes the scientific data published in the world on the results of CT Venography. Methods of indirect and direct contrast CT Venography are described. The possibility of using contrast CT Venography in the diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis is shown, where the accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of the method according to foreign authors is up to 97.9%, 96.8% and 100%, respectively. This method acquires particular importance in the diagnosis of pelvic vein thrombosis and inferior Vena cava, where the informative value of USDS is lower. The second clinical direction that is actively developing today is the combined use of CT Venography and CT Angiopulmonography in the diagnosis of a deadly complication of pulmonary embolism. The prospects of these attempts are preferable by the following advantages: the single-time study and the absence of the need for additional administration of contrast agents, the speed of scanning, and obtaining additional information about the state of the peripheral venous system in patients with venous thromboembolism.
Another and irreplaceable tool of contrast-enhanced CT Venography can become in the study of the features of the topographic and anatomical structure of the venous bed. Using their own research, the authors demonstrate the possibilities of direct CT Venography in the visualization of the venous system of the lower extremities.
The need for more accurate topical diagnostics with 3D visualization of the venous system of the lower extremities and pelvis by CT-Venography is due to the growing interest in recent years of vascular and interventional surgeons to test and more actively implement endovasal methods of correction of venous blood flow in phlebological practice.
Purpose. To assess the comparability of coronary calcium values measured on ultralow-dose computed tomography studies without ECG-synchronization versus a) non-contrast computed tomography with ECG synchronization, b) CT coronography with ECG synchronization.
Materials and methods. The study comprised 283 studies: 68 patients who underwent contrast-free ultra-LDCT without ECG synchronization and contrast-free CT with ECG synchronization performed in a single visit, and 49 patients with contrast-free ultra-LDCT without ECG synchronization, non-contrast CT with ECG synchronization, and CT coronography with ECG synchronization and intravenous injection of contrast agent, also carried out in one visit, meeting all inclusion and exclusion criteria of the study.
Quantitative coronary calcium values were calculated with the Agatston score and the CAC-DRS scale (score of calcification degree from 0 to 3 and the number of affected arteries from 0 to 4 points). The degree of coronary artery stenosis was analyzed with CAD-RADS scale (0-5).
The above parameters were compared using visual/quantitative assessment of coronary calcium on ultra-LDCT without ECG synchronization and visual/quantitative assessment for CT with ECG synchronization, as well as the degree of stenosis on CT coronography in the same patients.
Results. Based on the results of accuracy indices comparison, the possibility to use quantitative scale (Agatston score, CAC-DRS quantitative scale) to assess coronary calcification in the lung cancer screening in comparison with ECG-synchronized CT was determined during interpretation of ultra-LDCT without ECG synchronization. The correlation matrix to assess correlation between visual, quantitative scales of coronary artery changes and calcification at ultra-LDCT without ECG synchronization and quantitative scale at CT with ECG synchronization vs. CT coronography identifies very strong positive statistically significant correlations.
Conclusion. Methods of coronary calcinosis assessment with chest ultra-LDCT and CT with ECG synchronization are comparable, therefore it is possible to assess coronary calcium in lung cancer screening by ultra-LDCT data at a reliable-high level using both quantitative and visual CAC-DRS scales.
BREAST
Aim. To assess the reasonability to use CAD added to mammography with subsequent targeted ultrasound (US) of CAD markings in patients with low-density (ACR A-В) breasts.
Materials and methods. In the prospective study we included 2326 women with low breast density. They were randomized for CAD (MammCheck II of our own design) checking with subsequent targeted US (MMG + CAD group) or without CAD (MMG only group). After the initial screening we performed the 3-year follow-up phase.
Results. Totally, during the primary screening in the MMG only group we found 77 breast cancers (BCs) (28,57% of them sized less than 1 cm), in the MMG + CAD group – 69 BCs (36,23% of them sized less than 1 cm), р > 0.05. The suspicious lesion was identified only during the targeted US of the CAD marking in 4 of 25 women in the MMG + CAD group, and all these BCs were below 1 cm in size. During the subsequent follow-up in the MMG only group we found 5 additional BCs, with no such cases in the MMG + CAD group (p < 0.05). Three of these five BCs were retrospectively marked by CAD. The only visible BC that was not marked by CAD was 3 mm in size.
Discussion. The overall false positive marking rate was 0.31 и 0.28 per film-screen and digital image, respectively (р > 0.05).
Conclusion. The CAD usage added to mammography with subsequent targeted US of markings in patients with low-density (ACR A-В) breast is reasonable due to the significant decrease of the BC rate diagnosed during the 3-year follow-up. This combination detected 77 of the 77 (100.00%) BCs compared to 69 of 74 (93.24%) BCs when only mammography used.
ABDOMEN
The aim of the study was to assess the diagnostic and prognostic value of a diffusion-weighted image of the liver with magnetic resonance imaging in patients with alcoholic liver disease.
Material and methods. A total of 113 patients with alcoholic liver disease (ALD) were examined. Among them, 65 (57.5%) are men and 48 (42.5%) are women. The mean age of patients is 46.3 ± 5.2 years. The structure of the instrumental algorithm for examining patients was presented: ultrasound of the abdominal cavity organs with clinical elastography – 98 (86.7%) patients, MRI of the liver with the mandatory inclusion of the DWI liver sequence in the protocol (n = 113). The b-factor values of 100/600/1000 were used for the liver DWI sequence. Liver biopsy was chosen as the reference method in 65 (57.5%) patients.
Results. The patients were monitored for 12 months. At the first stage, the qualitative characteristics of the liver DWI sequence were assessed: no or there is a diffusion limitation. At the second stage, the quantitative indicators of the DWI sequence were assessed in the form of calculating the measured diffusion index and coefficient. In order to standardize the technique of liver DWI on MRI in patients with ALD, the results were compared with the data of clinical elastography (p < 0.01) and liver biopsy (p < 0.05). Upon admission and monitoring of patients (after 1, 3, 6, 9 months), a high correlation was found in the assessment of comparing the quantitative indicators of DWI with clinical elastography (r = 0.873) and an average correlation with biopsy data (r = 0.715).
Conclusions. There was a high correlation between the limitation of liver diffusion on MRI and negative clinical and laboratory dynamics (r = 0.889) and in the absence of limitation of diffusion in the liver and positive clinical and laboratory dynamics (r = 0.885). DWI of the liver on MRI in patients with ALD has a high diagnostic and prognostic value in assessing abnormal abstinence regimen (AUROC = 0.903 (95% CI 0.871–0.911)). Diagnostic and prognostic significance of the developed criteria for DWI of the liver at MRI in patients with ABD at admission: for a qualitative assessment AUROC = 0.844 (95% CI 0.801–0.869), quantitative – AUROC = 0.908 (95% CI 0.875–0.911); with dynamic observation: for a qualitative assessment AUROC = 0.939 (95% CI 0.901–0.955), quantitative – AUROC = 0.919 (95% CI 0.871–0.931).
We present a rare clinical case of a 37-year-old man who had intrahepatic splenosis (IHS) mimics hepatocellular carcinoma on CT/MRI imaging. The patient with a history of splenectomy 14 years ago had no specific complains and the lesion was found incidentally during follow up imaging for the chronic pancreatitis. Definitive diagnosis of IHS was possible with post-operative histopathological analysis of the resected liver.
PEDIATRIC RADIOLOGY
Introduction. Fractures of pelvic bones in children are rare and make up from 0.3 to 4% of all childhood trauma, 20% of children with polytrauma have pelvic ring injuries. Comparative studies of diagnostic capabilities of MRI and CT in sacral and acetabular fractures showed that about 37% of CT were missed, therefore the authors recommended MRI as the best method in visualizing pelvic fractures.
Aim of this study is to show the capabilities of CT and MRI to improve recognition of pelvic fractures.
Material and methods. In the period 2010–2019, 790 children with pelvic fractures as part of polytrauma were studied. The age of children was from 8.5 to 17 years, average 10.14 ± 1.4. Computed tomography with three-phase contrast was performed in all 790 patients on Brilliance 16 scanners. MRI was performed (n = 63) on a 3 T tomograph with obtaining multiplanar STIR, T1-, T2- and PD weighted images (VI) with signal suppression factor of adipose tissue, as well as 3D isotropic images.
Results. On the polytrauma severity scale (ISS), the assessment of the condition of 790 children ranged from 23.54 to 27.5 (mean 25.77) points. The main mechanism of pelvic injury was road traffic accidents (pedestrian + passenger – 63.54% (n = 502), catatrauma was in second place – 32.66% (n = 258), followed by compression – 2.15% (n = 17) , sports injury – 0.38% (n = 3), other injury – 3.43% (n = 27). 73.26% (n = 578) had multiple pelvic fractures, 20.5% (n = 162) – complicated, – 22.3% (n = 176) unstable In 63 patients with damage to the anterior pelvic ring, according to CT, MRI revealed fractures of the posterior pelvic ring in 79.36% (n = 50).
Conclusion. Children with polytrauma must undergo computed tomography to exclude not only all non-muscular-skeletal injuries, but also combined pelvic fractures. We believe that for the detection and assessment of bone fractures and concomitant injuries of other tissues and organs of the pelvis, in most cases, multiphase CT with intravenous contrast is a sufficient method. MRI is important for evaluating pelvic soft tissue structures such as tendons, ligaments, nerves and fascia, as well as detecting hidden / fine bone lesions.
NEW TECHNOLOGIES IN RADIOLOGY
In the review we discussed about the method of quantitative computed tomography (QCT, quantitative computed tomography). In QCT, X-ray density (HU) is converted to bone mineral density (BMD mg / ml) using linear relationships obtained by scanning calibration standards (phantoms). When compared with the normative age data, it is possible to diagnose osteoporosis (OP). The review presents various QCT techniques and their diagnostic capabilities in accordance with the positions of ISCD 2019 - (International Society for Clinical Densitometry). The results of comparison of QCT and conventional dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) are considered. It is noted that in the study of the proximal femur (PF), the results of the methods are well comparable, according to the results of both methods, it is possible to diagnose OP by the T-score. However, when examining the spine QCT, the volume BMD of the trabecular bone of the vertebral bodies is assessed, and with DXA, the projection BMD is assessed. The approaches to the interpretation of the results are also different - diagnosis of OP in DXA of the spine based on the T-score, but in QCT, the ACR (American College of Radiology) criteria are used.
We describe the phantoms used in QCT, as well as provide data on radiation exposure during QCT and DXA.
The article describes an approach to opportunistic screening of osteoporosis by the QCT based on the results of previously performed CT scans, including its automated work-flow using artificial intelligence technologies. These promising techniques are attractive due to the large number of CT examinations performed and the exclusion of additional examinations.
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